by Sebastián Encina
2026 marks a momentous year for the United States. It was 250 years ago when 13 colonies presented the Declaration of Independence to the world. The document was revolutionary for its time, announcing that a new form of government was imminent. Minnetrista, like many museums around the country, will use the opportunity to commemorate the occasion through exhibitions, programs, and events to reflect on all that has transpired since then.
Over the course of 250 years, the United States has been home to historic figures and events that have changed the trajectory of the country. While Indiana has not been a state the entirety of the nation’s existence, it has managed to contribute to national headlines. Minnetrista will explore these stories told through a local lens with two original exhibitions scheduled to open in 2026.
Politics at all levels affects people throughout the country and beyond. Presidential candidates like Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George Wallace, and Robert Kennedy traveled through the area hoping to win people’s votes. Meanwhile, Elwood, Indiana gave the nation its 1940 Republican presidential candidate in Wendell Willkie. Though ultimately unsuccessful, Willkie represented Indiana on the highest stage in the country.
Indiana is no stranger to producing amazing athletes who have competed and thrived at the national and international level. Ball State University alum Jennifer Gilbert is an Olympic medal winner in softball. Adam Lind (MLB), Bonzi Wells (NBA), Ryan Kerrigan (NFL), and Carl Erskine (MLB) are but just a few of the local athletes who have succeeded in the national leagues and represented their hometowns well. The region is also home to nationally acclaimed coaches, such as Purdue men’s basketball coach Matt Painter (Delta High School) and former Ball State University volleyball coach Don Shondell.
Agriculture is a $35 billion industry in Indiana, with 63% of total land use devoted to farms. Driving through the state, one will notice an abundance of corn, soy, chickens, and pigs. These are considered quintessentially Indiana, but their histories are much older. Like many of its citizens, the crops and animals found here have their origins far from the state. The exhibitions shed light on where our farm products were first developed and bred to be the familiar items we recognize today. Soy and chickens (Southeast Asia), corn (Mesoamerica), and pigs (China) speak to the impact international trade has had on the state.
America at 250: Reflections on Community
is now open.
East Central Indiana has also birthed respected and revered entertainers. These talents have performed on stage, in concert halls, in movies, in print, and on television. Ball State alumni Tiara Thomas and Angelin Chang have both received Grammys for their work, with Thomas also earning an Academy Award for her song Fight For You from the movie Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). Emily Kimbrough was a successful author who often wrote about her experiences growing up in Muncie. Actors Mary Jane Croft, Joyce DeWitt, James Edwards, and Doug Jones, among many others, starred in numerous television shows and feature films throughout their respective careers, earning the respect of their peers.
Minnetrista's exhibitions will also delve into what it means to be a community. Since 1776, the state’s population has increased significantly. Indiana had a population of 343,030 in 1830. In the latest census of 2020, the number rose to 6,785,528. Even with national and state laws limiting movement, Indiana has benefited from both migration and immigration. As the country expanded and more people ventured west, many settled in Indiana. The state’s total population grew even larger when millions of Southern Black Americans left their home states during the Great Migration and settled in the North and West. Over time, what it meant to be a Hoosier grew to include even more people.
Indiana’s unique story is not only limited to what has happened in the last 250 years. Tectonic changes and glaciers from millions of years ago had immense impact on the landscape. These formed Indiana into what it is today, which still impacts land use. The glaciers, for example, deposited rich soils that are of great importance to the farmers in the state.
There are many aspects that make Indiana unique. The people who have lived here, the crops we grow, even the land on which we stand is distinctive to the state. Each of these convey a different facet of Indiana’s history that also illuminate the history of the United States. East Central Indiana, specifically, has much to be proud of in its contributions to the national narrative. Minnetrista is excited to honor just a few of the many stories that were born here, reminding us all what Indiana has to offer the nation.
America at 250: Celebrating Hoosier Spirit
will open June 6, 2026.